1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clinch for gripping two cords in side-by-side relationship to prevent them from slipping relative to a holder.
2. Prior Art
Sales U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,551, issued Sept. 12, 1978 discloses a drawstring puller and fastener for securing two cords by clamping them between relatively rotatable threaded members. The Gray U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,717, issued June 26, 1984, also shows a double cord holder having two clamping members between which the cord stretches extend that are pressed together by a ring or nut having a flared internally threaded bore mating with cooperating tapered externally threaded segments of clamping jaws. These devices are more complicated than the clinch of the present invention by being composed of a plurality of components that are relatively movable.
The Freeberg U.S. Pat. No. 1,379,093, issued May 24, 1921, discloses a double cord holder in which the cords are secured by a spring-pressed plunger slidably received in a spherical block. The Larsen U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,737, issued June 4, 1974, also shows a double cord holder in which the cords are held by a spring-pressed plunger slidably mounted in a block 20. Holders of this type again involve relatively movable parts, and the tightness of the grip on the cords is dependent on the force produced by the spring acting on the plunger.
Another cord holder having relatively movable parts is shown in Walker et al. U.S. Pat. No. 914,768, issued Mar. 9, 1909, which has pivoted jaws tilted to press against the cords by the tension exerted on the cords, but in order to hold the cords reliably, tension must be maintained on them. Moreover, this holder holds cords that extend in opposite directions from the holder instead of holding cords extending alongside each other, as in the other patents discussed above.
A cord holder which does not have relatively movable parts and which is intended to hold cords alongside each other is shown in FIGS. 11 to 15 of Emery U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,900, issued Apr. 13, 1971. This device is rather bulky, however, and would not hold cords as reliably or be as easy to use as the clinch of the present invention.
FIGS. 1 to 10 of Emery U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,900 and Emery U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,938, issued Dec. 7, 1982, show devices for holding a single cord, but they would not be adapted for holding a double cord.